Water resistant cementitious article and method for preparing same

ABSTRACT

A fibrous mat-faced cementitious article comprising (a) a cementitious core, and (b) a first fibrous mat comprising polymer or mineral fibers and a hydrophobic finish on at least one surface thereof, wherein the hydrophobic finish is in contact with the cementitious core, and a method of preparing a fibrous mat-faced cementitious article, as well as a method of preparing a water-resistant cementitious article comprising (a) preparing an aqueous siloxane dispersion, wherein the dispersion comprises about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. % siloxane, (b) combining the siloxane dispersion with a cementitious mixture to provide a cementitious slurry, (c) depositing the cementitious slurry onto a substrate, and (d) allowing the cementitious slurry to harden, thereby providing a cementitious article.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional patent application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/738,316, filed on Apr. 20, 2007 whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/889,487, filed Feb. 12, 2007, the entire disclosure of both of whichpreceding patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cementitious articles, such as gypsum board and cement board, are usefulin a variety of applications, some of which require a degree of waterresistance. Traditional paper-faced cementitious articles do not alwaysperform well under high moisture conditions, or upon exposure to theoutdoors. Thus, for such applications, it is often desirable to use acementitious article that is faced with a glass or polymer-based fibermat instead of paper. It also is advantageous to use additives in thecementitious core that improve the water resistance of the core materialitself.

The manufacturing process of cementitious articles, such as gypsum boardand cement board, typically involves depositing a cementitious slurryover a first facing material and covering the wet slurry with a secondfacing material of the same type, such that the cementitious slurry issandwiched between the two facing materials. Thereafter, excess water isremoved from the slurry by drying. The cementitious slurry is allowed toharden to produce a solid article prior to final drying.

The manufacturing process of cementitious articles, thus, often requiresthe facing material to be sufficiently permeable that excess water canbe removed from the cementitious slurry in the drying process. Forexample, non-woven fiberglass mat is often used as a facing material, inwhich the space between the fibers provides permeability. Thepermeability of the fibrous facing materials, however, makes themanufacturing process more difficult because the cementitious slurrydeposited on the fibrous mat facing material tends to penetrate the matcausing slurry build-up on the forming table and assembly line. Theslurry build-up must be removed periodically. Increasing the viscosityof the slurry can reduce the amount of slurry that penetrates thefibrous mat facing material, but the required higher viscosity is notalways optimum for use in existing plant production processes due, forinstance, to changes in mixing, setting, drying, or hardeningcharacteristics.

Furthermore, the permeability of the fibrous mat facing material alsoreduces the water-resistance of the cementitious article because itallows water to penetrate the mat and contact the cementitious coreduring use. In order to alleviate this problem, exterior coatings ofhydrophobic resins are sometimes applied. However, this generallyrequires an additional post-manufacturing step to be employed, addingcost and inconvenience.

Another approach is to further increase the water resistance of thecementitious core material by including hydrophobic additives in thecementitious slurry. A preferred additive for this purpose is a siloxaneoil. However, methods of employing such additives require furtherimprovement in their implementation and effectiveness.

Thus, there remains a desire for new water resistant cementitiousarticles, as well as methods of preparing such articles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention provides a fibrous mat-faced cementitiousarticle comprising (a) a cementitious core, and (b) a first fibrous matcomprising polymer or mineral fibers and a hydrophobic finish on atleast one surface thereof, wherein the hydrophobic finish is in contactwith the cementitious core.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing afibrous mat-faced cementitious article comprising (a) depositing acementitious slurry on a first fibrous mat comprising polymer or mineralfibers and a hydrophobic finish on at least one surface thereof, whereinthe cementitious slurry is deposited on the hydrophobic finish, and (b)allowing the cementitious slurry to harden, thereby providing a fibrousmat-faced cementitious article.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing awater-resistant cementitious article comprising (a) preparing an aqueoussiloxane dispersion comprising about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. % siloxanein water, (b) combining the siloxane dispersion with a cementitiousmixture to provide a cementitious slurry, (c) depositing thecementitious slurry onto a substrate, and (d) allowing the cementitiousslurry to harden, thereby providing a cementitious article.

These and other advantages of the present invention, as well asadditional inventive features, will be apparent from the description ofthe invention provided herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of a fibrous mat-faced cementitious article according to theinvention comprise (a) a cementitious core, and (b) a first fibrous matcomprising polymer or mineral fibers and a hydrophobic finish on atleast one surface thereof, wherein the hydrophobic finish is in contactwith the cementitious core. Desirably, the hydrophobic finish preventsthe cementitious core of the article from penetrating the first fibrousmat to any substantial degree during manufacture.

The first fibrous mat comprises any suitable type of polymer or mineralfiber, or combination thereof. Non-limiting examples of suitable fibersinclude glass fibers, polyamide fibers, polyaramide fibers,polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers (e.g., polyethylene teraphthalate(PET)), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), cellulosicfibers (e.g., cotton, rayon, etc.), and the like, as well ascombinations thereof. Furthermore, the fibers of the mat can behydrophobic or hydrophilic, coated or uncoated. Of course, the choice offibers will depend, in part, on the type of application in which thecementitious article is to be used. For example, when the cementitiousarticle is used for applications that require heat or fire resistance,appropriate heat or fire resistant fibers should be used in the fibrousmat.

The first fibrous mat can be woven or non-woven; however, non-woven matsare preferred. Non-woven mats comprise fibers bound together by abinder. The binder can be any binder typically used in the mat industry.Suitable binders include, without limitation, urea formaldehyde,melamine formaldehyde, stearated melamine formaldehyde, polyester,acrylics, polyvinyl acetate, urea formaldehyde or melamine formaldehydemodified or blended with polyvinyl acetate or acrylic, styrene acrylicpolymers, and the like, as well as combinations thereof. Suitablefibrous mats include commercially available mats used as facingmaterials for cementitious articles.

The first fibrous mat of the cementitious article comprises ahydrophobic finish on at least one surface thereof, which is in contactwith the cementitious core. Any hydrophobic finish material can be used.Preferably, the hydrophobic finish provides a surface with a degree ofhydrophobicity such that water applied to the surface exhibits a contactangle of about 70° or greater, such as about 70° to about 130°, or about90° or greater, such as about 90° to about 120°. The contact angle canbe measured by any suitable technique.

Examples of suitable hydrophobic finish materials include, withoutlimitation, compositions comprising, consisting essentially of, orconsisting of talc, wax, silicone-based compounds (e.g., silanes orsiloxanes), hydrophobic resins, fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid) and salts(e.g., multivalent salts) thereof, polyethylene glycol (PEG), andlong-chain hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfactants (e.g., having 12 ormore carbon atoms), as well as combinations thereof.

The finish material can be applied to the first fibrous mat as a liquidor solid material (e.g., resin, wet-dispersed powder, dry powder, orfilm) by any of various methods known in the art. For instance, thehydrophobic finish materials can be applied by brushing, spraying,rolling, pouring, dipping, sifting, or overlaying the hydrophobic finishmaterial. Solid materials, such as powders, can be dispersed prior toapplication using any common solvent (e.g., water, alcohols, etc.) ordispersant, provided the solvent or dispersant does not react adverselywith the fibrous mat materials. Solvents that etch the surface fibers ofthe fibrous mat, and thereby enhance the ability of the finish materialto adhere to the mat, also can be used. Preferably, any solvent ordispersant used is easily dried and does not leave a residue thatprevents the finish from adhering to the fibrous mat. Liquid ordispersed finish materials can have any viscosity suitable forapplication to the fibrous mat. Typically, the viscosity of a liquid ordispersed finish material will be from about 50-200 Kreb's units (KU)(about 300-20,000 cP), such as about 80-150 KU (about 800-8,000 cP).

Recognizing that the surface of the fibrous mat is an irregular surface,the finish material need not provide a finish that is completelycontinuous. When a liquid or powder finish composition is used, forinstance, the finish material may fall within the voids between thefibers of the mat leaving gaps or holes in the finish. However, thefinish material preferably is applied in an amount sufficient to providea finish that is continuous and, desirably, coextensive with thedimensions of the first fibrous mat.

The hydrophobic finish applied to the first fibrous mat is preferably inthe form of a layer. The layer, desirably, is thick enough to slow orprevent the penetration of cementitious slurry through the first fibrousmat during production. Without wishing to be bound by any particulartheory, it is believed that the hydrophobic layer slows or preventsslurry penetration due to the reduced surface tension of thecementitious slurry on the hydrophobic layer as compared to the fibrousmat in the absence of the hydrophobic layer and/or by physicallyblocking the pore space of the fibrous mat. Generally, the finish willprovide a layer over the mat (and over any resinous binder used to bindthe fibers of the mat) with an average thickness of at least about 25microns (e.g., at least about 25 to about 500 microns), at least about100 microns (e.g., about 100 to about 500 microns), or at least about200 microns (e.g., about 200 to about 500 microns, or about 200 to about400 microns), or even at least about 300 microns (e.g., about 300 toabout 500 microns, or about 300 to about 400 microns).

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the first fibrous matis not substantially embedded in the cementitious core. Preferably, lessthan about 50% of the thickness of the mat is embedded in thecementitious core, more preferably less than about 30%, less than about15%, less than about 10%, or even less than about 2% (e.g., less thanabout 1%) of the thickness of the mat is embedded in the cementitiouscore. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it isbelieved that the hydrophobic finish of the first fibrous mat prevents,to at least some degree, the first fibrous mat from becoming embedded inthe cementitious core during production. In a related and preferredaspect of the invention, the cementitious core adheres, at least inpart, to the hydrophobic finish.

It will be appreciated that the first fibrous mat has two facingsurfaces: an outwardly facing surface and a surface facing thecementitious core. In accordance with the invention, the surface of thefirst fibrous mat facing the cementitious core comprises a hydrophobicfinish. The outwardly facing surface need not comprise a hydrophobicfinish. However, according to one embodiment of the invention, theoutwardly facing surface of the fibrous mat also can comprise ahydrophobic finish as described herein. Alternatively, the outwardlyfacing surface can be otherwise treated by any method known in the art,or can remain untreated.

The cementitious article optionally can comprise a second fibrous matcomprising polymer or mineral fibers, wherein the cementitious core isdisposed between the first fibrous mat and the second fibrous mat. Thesecond fibrous mat can be the same or different from the first fibrousmat. Furthermore, the second fibrous mat can comprise a hydrophobicfinish as described herein, or can be free of such a finish. When thecementitious article is in the form of a board or panel (e.g., gypsumboard, cement board, etc.), the second fibrous mat is preferably thesame as the first fibrous mat, both in material and orientation relativeto the cementitious core, or has sufficiently similar expansion andcontraction properties to the first fibrous mat, such that warping ofthe cementitious article is reduced or eliminated. When the secondfibrous mat is the same as the first fibrous mat, it should beunderstood that the first and second fibrous mats can be provided by asingle continuous piece of material, for example, by folding a singlepiece of fibrous mat such that it wraps around the cementitious core.

The cementitious core can comprise any material, substance, orcomposition containing or derived from hydraulic cement, along with anysuitable additives. Non-limiting examples of materials that can be usedin the cementitious core include Portland cement, sorrel cement, slagcement, fly ash cement, calcium alumina cement, water-soluble calciumsulfate anhydrite, calcium sulfate α-hemihydrate, calcium sulfateβ-hemihydrate, natural, synthetic or chemically modified calcium sulfatehemihydrates, calcium sulfate dihydrate (“gypsum,” “set gypsum,” or“hydrated gypsum”), and mixtures thereof. As used herein, the term“calcium sulfate material” refers to any of the forms of calcium sulfatereferenced above.

The additives can be any additives commonly used to produce cementitiousarticles, such as gypsum board or cement board. Such additives include,without limitation, structural additives such as mineral wool,continuous or chopped glass fibers (also referred to as fiberglass),perlite, clay, vermiculite, calcium carbonate, polyester, and paperfiber, as well as chemical additives such as foaming agents, fillers,accelerators, sugar, enhancing agents such as phosphates, phosphonates,borates and the like, retarders, binders (e.g., starch and latex),colorants, fungicides, biocides, and the like. Examples of the use ofsome of these and other additives are described, for instance, in U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,342,284, 6,632,550, 6,800,131, 5,643,510, 5,714,001, and6,774,146, and U.S. Patent Publications 2004/0231916 A1, 2002/0045074 A1and 2005/0019618 A1.

Preferably, the cementitious core comprises a calcium sulfate material,Portland cement, or mixture thereof. Advantageously, the cementitiouscore also comprises a hydrophobic agent, such as a silicone-basedmaterial (e.g., a silane, siloxane, or silicone-resin matrix), in asuitable amount to improve the water resistance of the core material. Itis also preferred that the cementitious core comprise a siloxanecatalyst, such as magnesium oxide (e.g., dead burned magnesium oxide),fly ash (e.g., Class C fly ash), or a mixture thereof. The siloxane andsiloxane catalyst can be added in any suitable amount, and by anysuitable method as described herein with respect the method of preparinga water-resistant cementitious article of the invention, or asdescribed, for example, in U.S. Patent Publications 2006/0035112 A1 or2007/0022913 A1. Desirably, the cementitious core also comprisesstrength-improving additives, such as phosphates (e.g., polyphosphatesas described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,342,284, 6,632,550, and 6,800,131 andU.S. Patent Publications 2002/0045074 A1, 2005/0019618 A1, and2007/0022913 A1) and/or pre-blended unstable and stable soaps (e.g., asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,635 and 5,643,510). The cementitiouscore can comprise paper or glass fibers, but is preferably substantiallyfree of paper and/or glass fibers (e.g., comprises less than about 1 wt.%, less than about 0.5 wt. %, less than about 0.1 wt. %, or even lessthan about 0.05 wt. % of paper and/or glass fibers, or contains no suchfibers).

The cementitious article can be any of any type or shape suitable for adesired application. Non-limiting examples of cementitious articlesinclude gypsum panels and cement panels of any size and shape.

The cementitious article can be prepared by any suitable methodincluding, but not limited to, the inventive methods described herein.Embodiments of a method of preparing a fibrous mat-faced cementitiousarticle according to the invention comprise (a) depositing acementitious slurry on a first fibrous mat comprising polymer or mineralfibers, wherein the first fibrous mat comprises a hydrophobic finish onat least one surface thereof, and the cementitious slurry is depositedon the hydrophobic finish, and (b) allowing the cementitious slurry toharden, thereby providing a fibrous mat-faced cementitious article.

The method of preparing a cementitious article in accordance with theinvention can be conducted on existing gypsum board manufacturing linesused to make fibrous mat-faced cementitious articles known in the art.Briefly, the process typically involves discharging a fibrous matmaterial onto a conveyor, or onto a forming table that rests on aconveyer, which is then positioned under the discharge conduit (e.g., agate-canister-boot arrangement as known in the art, or an arrangement asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,494,609 and 6,874,930) of a mixer. Thecomponents of the cementitious slurry are fed to the mixer comprisingthe discharge conduit, where they are agitated to form the cementitiousslurry. Foam can be added in the discharge conduit (e.g., in the gate asdescribed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,635 and 6,494,609). Thecementitious slurry is discharged onto the fibrous mat facing material.The slurry is spread, as necessary, over the fibrous mat facing materialand optionally covered with a second facing material, which may be afibrous mat or other type of facing material (e.g., paper, foil,plastic, etc.). The wet cementitious assembly thereby provided isconveyed to a forming station where the article is sized to a desiredthickness, and to one or more knife sections where it is cut to adesired length to provide a cementitious article. The cementitiousarticle is allowed to harden, and, optionally, excess water is removedusing a drying process (e.g., by air-drying or transporting thecementitious article through a kiln). Each of the above steps, as wellas processes and equipment for performing such steps, are known in theart. It also is common in the manufacture of cementitious articles suchas gypsum and cement board to deposit a relatively dense layer of slurryonto a facing material before depositing the primary slurry, and to usevibration in order to eliminate large voids or air pockets from thedeposited slurry. Also, hard edges, as known in the art, are sometimesused. These steps or elements (dense slurry layer, vibration, and/orhard edges) optionally can be used in conjunction with the invention.

All aspects of the first fibrous mat used in accordance with the methodof preparing a cementitious article are as described herein with respectto the cementitious article of the invention.

Although the cementitious slurry is in contact with the hydrophobicfinish of the first fibrous mat, the cementitious slurry preferably doesnot substantially penetrate the first fibrous mat, thereby preventingthe first fibrous mat from embedding in the cementitious slurry to anysubstantial degree. Preferably, the cementitious slurry penetrates lessthan about 50% of the thickness of the mat, more preferably less thanabout 30%, less than about 15%, less than about 10%, or even less thanabout 2% (e.g., less than about 1%) of the thickness of the mat. Mostpreferably, the cementitious slurry does not penetrate at all beyond thehydrophobic finish on the mat. According to a related and preferredaspect of the invention, the cementitious slurry preferably adheres, atleast in part, to the hydrophobic finish.

The hydrophobic finish can be applied to the first fibrous mat prior todelivering the first fibrous mat to the manufacturing line.Alternatively, the hydrophobic finish can be applied to the firstfibrous mat on the manufacturing line. In this respect, the method ofthe invention can further comprise depositing a hydrophobic finish onthe first fibrous mat before depositing the cementitious slurry on thefirst fibrous mat. Any suitable hydrophobic finish material can be used,as previously described herein. The hydrophobic finish can be depositedon the first fibrous mat by any of various techniques known in the art,such as by brushing, spraying, rolling, pouring, dipping, sifting, oroverlaying the hydrophobic finish material.

The hydrophobic finish, when applied as a liquid, preferably is driedbefore depositing the cementitious slurry on the first fibrous mat. Thehydrophobic finish can be dried by any suitable method, such as byapplying heat to the finish or to the mat comprising the finish.

Optionally, the method of preparing a fibrous mat-faced cementitiousarticle can further comprise contacting the cementitious slurry with asecond fibrous mat prior to allowing the cementitious slurry to harden,wherein the cementitious slurry is disposed between the first fibrousmat and the second fibrous mat. All other aspects of the first andsecond fibrous mats are as described with respect to the cementitiousarticle of the invention.

The cementitious slurry comprises any of the cementitious materials andadditives previously described as suitable or preferred with respect tothe cementitious core of the cementitious article, along with sufficientwater to provide a suitable viscosity. When measured by the slump test,the cementitious slurry will typically produce a patty with a diameterof about 5″ to about 8″ (or about 10 cm to about 20 cm), such as about6″ to about 7″ (or about 15 cm to about 18 cm). Procedures for measuringthe viscosity of a slurry using the slump test are known in the art.Briefly, a 2″ (or 5 cm) diameter tube is filled with slurry to a heightof 4″ (10 cm). Within 5 seconds from sampling the slurry from themanufacturing line, the slurry is released from the tube onto a flat,level surface and allowed to spread into a patty. When the slurry hasstopped spreading, the widest diameter of the slurry patty is measured(in the case of non-circular (e.g., elliptical) slurry patty, the widestdiameter of the slurry patty is averaged with the diameter of the slurrypatty in the direction perpendicular to the widest diameter).

Other aspects of the method of preparing a fibrous mat-facedcementitious article are as described herein with respect to thecementitious article of the invention. Those aspects of the method ofpreparing a fibrous mat-faced cementitious article not specificallydescribed herein can be supplied by the techniques known and used in themanufacture of conventional cementitious articles, especially fibrousmat-faced cementitious articles.

In a related aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing awater resistant cementitious article comprising (a) preparing an aqueoussiloxane dispersion comprising about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. % siloxanein water, (b) combining the siloxane dispersion with a cementitiousmixture to provide a cementitious slurry, (c) depositing thecementitious slurry onto a facing or other type of substrate, and (d)allowing the cementitious slurry to harden, thereby providing acementitious article.

Any siloxane suitable for conferring water-resistance to a cementitiousmixture can be used. The siloxane can be a cyclic hydrogen-modifiedsiloxane or, preferably, a linear hydrogen-modified siloxane. Thesiloxane is desirably a liquid (e.g., a siloxane oil). Typically, thelinear hydrogen modified siloxanes useful in the practice of the presentinvention comprise those having a repeating unit of the general formula:—Si(H)(R)—O—, wherein R represents a saturated or unsaturatedmono-valent hydrocarbon radical. In preferred embodiments, R representsan alkyl group and most preferably R is a methyl group. Preferredsiloxanes are capable of forming highly cross-linked silicone resins.During polymerization, the terminal groups are removed by condensationand siloxane groups are linked together to form the silicone resin.Cross-linking of the chains also occurs. The resulting silicone resinimparts water resistance to the gypsum matrix as it forms. Suitable suchsiloxanes are commercially available and described in the patentliterature (e.g., low solvent or solventless methyl hydrogen siloxanefluid sold under the name SILRES BS 94 by Wacker-Chemie GmbH (Munich,Germany)).

The siloxane dispersion preferably is prepared by introducing thesiloxane and water into a mixer in an amount sufficient to provide adispersion comprising about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. % siloxane in water,preferably about 4 wt. % to about 5 wt. % siloxane in water, andprocessing the mixture to produce a dispersion. More preferably, thedispersion comprises more than 4 wt. % and/or less than 8 wt. % siloxanein water. By way of illustration, the dispersion can comprise from about4.1 wt. %, 4.2 wt. %, 4.3 wt. %, 4.4 wt. % or 4.5 wt. % to about 5 wt.%, 6 wt. %, or 7 wt. % siloxane in water. Preferably, the dispersioncomprises droplets of siloxane in water, wherein the droplets have anaverage particle size of about 50 microns or less, preferably about 30microns or less, or even about 20 microns or less (e.g., about 10microns or less). More preferably, the droplets have a particle sizedistribution such that about 75% or more, 80% or more, 85% or more, even90% or more, or even 95% or more of the droplets have a particle size ofabout 50 microns or less, preferably about 30 microns or less, or evenabout 20 microns or less (e.g., about 10 microns or less). The particlesize and particle size distribution of the siloxane droplets in thedispersion can be determined using routine techniques, such as bydynamic light scattering analysis.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the dispersion isstabilized, such that the siloxane droplets remain dispersed in thewater (i.e., the siloxane phase does not substantially separate from thewater phase) for a period of time sufficient to allow the dispersion tobe combined with the other components of the cementitious core. Forinstance, according to a preferred aspect of the invention, thedispersion will have a stability such that a sample of the dispersiontaken immediately after mixing and allowed to rest will exhibit novisible coalescing of droplets on the surface of the sample within oneminute (e.g., within two minutes).

A high shear or ultra-high shear mixer is, desirably, used to dispersethe siloxane in the water. The high shear or ultra-high shear mixer canbe any mixer capable of producing a siloxane in water dispersion inwhich the siloxane droplets have the above-described particle size orparticle size distribution characteristics. Suitable types of high shearmixers include mechanical-shear mixers, such as pin-type, blade-type,rotor-stator, and disc-type mixers, as well as hydraulic shear mixers.Preferred mixers are those capable of producing a tip-speed of about9,000 to about 15,000 feet per minute (FPM) (or about 40 to about 80meters per second (mps), such as about 10,000 to 12,000 FPM (or about 50to about 60 mps). Non-limiting examples of high shear mixers that can beused include the 312/45 MS high shear mixer (20 hp, 3600 RPM)manufactured by Silverson Machines, Inc., East Longmeadow, Mass., andthe X-Series Mixer emulsifiers (30 to 75 HP), such as ME-430XS-6,ME-440XS-9, ME-475XS-12, HSM709X-40, HMS712X-75 manufactured by CharlesRoss & Son Company, Hauppauge, N.Y.

The siloxane and water can be introduced into the dispersing mixer,preferably high shear mixer, separately or together, simultaneously orsequentially in any order. When the dispersion is prepared by batchmixing, the water is preferably added prior to the siloxane. However,batch mixing generally is not convenient or economical for continuousproduction methods. Thus, an in-line dispersing mixer is preferably usedso as to produce the dispersion in a continuous manner, in which casethe siloxane and water can be supplied to the in-line dispersing mixercontinuously and simultaneously in an appropriate ratio. The aqueoussiloxane dispersion preferably does not comprise an emulsifier ordispersant.

The aqueous siloxane dispersion is combined with a cementitious mixtureto provide a cementitious slurry. Those of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate that the cementitious mixture comprises solid componentsand liquid components. By way of illustration, the siloxane dispersioncomprising the above-described amount of siloxane in water can beintroduced directly into the mixer (e.g., the board mixer) comprisingthe solid components and/or liquid components of the cementitiousmixture. Preferably, however, the siloxane dispersion is first combinedwith a liquid component of the cementitious mixture (e.g., water), andsubsequently combined with the solid components of the cementitiousmixture (e.g., by adding the siloxane dispersion to the gauging water orother water that is subsequently delivered to the board mixer). Thesiloxane dispersion is preferably added to the cementitious mixture inan amount sufficient to provide a siloxane content in the finalcementitious product of about 0.3 wt. % to about 2 wt. %, such as about0.5 wt. % to about 1.5 wt. %, or about 0.6 wt. % to about 1 wt. % basedon the weight of the final cementitious product (e.g., the hardened,dried cementitious product). For example, assuming a cementitious panelof 1500 lbs/msf (e.g., a standard ½″ gypsum panel), the siloxanedispersion can be added to the cementitious mixture in an amountsufficient to provide about 5 lbs siloxane/1000 sq. ft. to about 30 lbssiloxane/1000 sq. ft. (or about 20 g siloxane/m² to about 150 gsiloxane/m²), such as about 7 lbs siloxane/1000 sq. ft. to about 20 lbssiloxane/1000 sq. ft. (or about 30 g siloxane/m² to about 100 gsiloxane/m²), or even about 10 lbs siloxane/1000 sq. ft. to about 14 lbssiloxane/1000 sq. ft. (or about 50 g siloxane/m² to about 70 gsiloxane/m²) in the final cementitious product (e.g., the hardened,dried cementitious product).

The cementitious slurry optionally comprises a siloxane catalyst, suchas fly ash, especially class C fly ash, magnesium oxide, especially deadburned magnesium oxide, or, most preferably, a combination thereof. Thefly ash is preferably used in amounts of about 0.1% to about 5% based onthe weight of the dry cementitious component (e.g., the dry weight ofthe stucco). The magnesium oxide is preferably used in amounts of about0.1% to about 0.5% based on the weight of the dry cementitious component(e.g., the dry weight of the stucco). The ratio of fly ash to magnesiumoxide is desirably from about 2:1 to about 3:1.

Other aspects of the cementitious slurry are as previously describedwith respect to the method of preparing a mat-faced cementitious articlein accordance with the invention. Other aspects of preparing an aqueoussiloxane emulsion and combining the emulsion with a cementitious slurryare as described in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0022913 A1.

The cementitious slurry can be deposited onto a substrate in accordancewith known methods and on existing manufacturing lines, as describedherein with respect to the method of preparing a fibrous mat-facedcementitious article, provided that a fibrous mat facing material neednot be used as a substrate. Rather, the substrate can be any suitablesubstrate, such as any facing material typically used to facecementitious articles (e.g., paper facing material). Preferably,however, the substrate is a fibrous mat facing material comprisingpolymer or mineral fibers.

It is especially advantageous, to employ as the substrate a firstfibrous mat comprising polymer or mineral fibers, wherein the firstfibrous mat comprises a hydrophobic finish on at least one surfacethereof. It is further preferable, when such a substrate is used, todeposit the slurry on the hydrophobic finish of the fibrous mat.Furthermore, a first and second fibrous mats can advantageously be used,wherein the cementitious slurry is disposed between the fibrous mats.Suitable such fibrous mats, hydrophobic finishes, and methods for theuse thereof to provide a cementitious article, are as described hereinwith respect to the fibrous mat-faced cementitious article and methodfor preparing a fibrous mat-faced cementitious article of the invention.

All other aspects of the method of preparing a water-resistantcementitious article are as described herein with respect to the fibrousmat-faced cementitious article or the method of preparing a mat-facedcementitious article. Aspects of the method of preparing water-resistantcementitious article not specifically described herein can be suppliedby the techniques known and used in the manufacture of conventionalcementitious articles, especially fibrous mat-faced cementitiousarticles.

Example 1

The following example illustrates the preparation of a fibrous-mat facedcementitious article in accordance with the invention.

Two types of fibrous mats are prepared: a first mat comprising all glassfibers and a second mat comprising a blend of 85 wt. % glass fibers and15 wt. % polyester fibers. Both mats are non-woven and comprised a 19wt. % melamine formaldehyde/acrylic binder.

A cementitious slurry is prepared using the formulation provided inTable 1 in a board mixer. The siloxane component of the slurry isdispersed in water (e.g., 4.1-4.4 wt. % siloxane in water dispersion)using a high shear mixer (e.g., the 312/45 MS high shear mixer (20 hp,3600 rpm) manufactured by Silverson Machines, Inc., East Longmeadow,Mass., and the X-Series Mixer emulsifiers (60 Hz, 3,600 rpm)manufactured by Charles Ross & Son Company, Hauppauge, N.Y.), andintroduced into the gauging water used to prepare the slurry.

The fibrous mat is positioned for application to the face (formed down)and the back (formed up) of the cementitious panel. The mat is passedthrough a tensioning and alignment system, and the face mat is creasedto form the desired thickness (e.g., ⅝″) and desired edge (e.g., square)at the desired board width (e.g., 48″). Preferably, a hydrophobic finishis applied to the face mat. The face mat is passed under the boardmixer, and the cementitious slurry is deposited onto the face mat. Adensified layer is not deposited prior to depositing the cementitiousslurry, and any slurry vibration apparatuses are turned off to helpreduce slurry penetration through the mat.

TABLE 1 Component Average Stucco 2140.6 lbs./MSF (10500 g/m²) Gaugingwater + siloxane water + 826.6 lbs./MSF (4050 g/m²) siloxane Siloxanewater 255.0 lbs./MSF (1250 g/m²) Siloxane 11.27 lbs./MSF (55 g/m²) MgO1.00 lbs./MSF (5 g/m²) Flyash 8.00 lbs./MSF (40 g/m²) Foam water 95.85lbs./MSF (470 g/m²) Foam air 14.35 cu. ft./MSF (0.044 km³/m²) Soap -Pre-blended 90% unstable to 0.459 lbs./MSF (2.3 g/m²) 10% stable soap(Hyonic 25 FM - from GEO Specialty Chemicals) Ground gypsum accelerator(5 wt. % 6.76 lbs./MSF (11 g/m²) sugar) Sodium trimetaphosphate 0.77lbs./MSF (3.7 g/m²) Thickness 0.63 inches (1.6 cm) Dispersant 10.17lbs./MSF (50 g/m²) Fiber (paper and/or glass) 0.00 lbs./MSF Glass water465.0 lbs./MSF (2280 g/m²) Total water 1393.1 lbs./MSF (6825 g/m²) WSR(Water Stucco Ratio) 65.1%

The creased face mat with the slurry in-place is formed into an envelopeand passed under the forming plate. At the point where the formed facemat enters the forming plate, the back mat is placed in contact with theedges of the face mat. A bead of synthetic adhesive is used to bond theface glass mat to the back glass mat at the point where the matsintersected. Slurry does not contact the face and back glass mats atthis intersection.

The completed glass mat envelope, filled with slurry, exits the formingplate and is transferred to the board belt. Guides keep the edges in theproper position until the slurry hydrates at a point about 30 secondsdown the board belt, at which point the edges are self-supporting. Theboard is moved further down the line until it becomes self supporting.Thereafter, the board is cut to slightly longer than its desiredfinished length with a board knife. The board is inverted and moved intothe kiln to remove the excess water.

The resulting product is a fibrous mat-faced cementitious product withimproved water resistance.

Example 2

The following example illustrates the effectiveness of a hydrophobicfinish material applied to a fibrous mat facing material in preventingthe penetration of a cementitious slurry through the fibrous mat.

Talc powder (Talcron 40-26, particle size 5 microns) dispersed in watercontaining 0.05 wt. % tri-potassium polyphosphate (dispersant) atvarious solid loading levels and viscosities is applied to non-wovenglass fiber mats to coat the mats at a thickness of 5 mil or 15 mil(based on wet film thickness). The solid loading level, viscosity, andthickness of the finishes are provided in Table 2. Finishes 5-7 alsocontain a hydroxyethylcellulose viscosity enhancer (0.05 wt. %). Finish7 further includes 1 wt. % white wax. Thereafter, a cementitious slurryis deposited over the finish material.

TABLE 2 Thickness Solids Viscosity Finish (mil) (%) (KU) Results 1 5 5070 Reduced slurry penetration 2 15 50 70 No slurry penetration 3 5 60119 No slurry penetration 4 15 60 119 No slurry penetration 5 5 20 83Reduced slurry penetration 6 15 20 83 Reduced slurry penetration 7 5 2083 Reduced slurry penetration 8 (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) High degree of slurry(control) penetration

The amount of slurry penetration is visually inspected and compared to acontrol, which is provided by applying the same slurry to a glass fibermat that is identical to the mats used to test finishes 1-7, butcomprises no finish material.

By comparison to the control mat, a lesser amount of slurry willpenetrate the mats comprising a finishing material, showing that theapplication of a hydrophobic finish to a fibrous mat facing materialreduces or eliminates slurry penetration through the fibrous mat.

Example 3

The following example illustrates the preparation of a water-resistantcementitious article in accordance with the invention.

A cementitious slurry is prepared using the formulation provided inTable 1 in a board mixer. The siloxane component of the slurry isdispersed in water (e.g., 4.1-4.4 wt. % siloxane in water dispersion)using a 312/45 MS high shear mixer (20 hp, 3600 RPM) manufactured bySilverson Machines, Inc., East Longmeadow, Mass.), and introduced intothe gauging water used to prepare the slurry. The siloxane dispersion isintroduced into the board mixer in an amount sufficient to provide afinal cementitious product comprising 11 lb. siloxane/msf board (about0.43% wt./wt.). The slurry is used in conjunction with standardmanufacturing processes to produce a paper-faced board product thatpasses the ASTM C1396/C 1396M-06 2-hour immersion target for sheathingwithout board defects of 10% and for water resistant gypsum backingboard of 5% using ASTM Standard Test Method C 473.

A second cementitious slurry is prepared in the same manner, except thatan X-Series High Shear Mixer ME-430XS-6 manufactured by Charles Ross &Son Company, Hauppauge, N.Y. instead of the Silverson mixer, and thesiloxane dispersion is added to the board mixer in an amount sufficientto provide a final cementitious produce comprising 10 lb. siloxane/msfboard (about 0.39% wt./wt.). The slurry is used in conjunction withstandard manufacturing processes to produce a paper-faced board productthat passes the C1396/C 1396M-06 2-hour immersion target for sheathingwithout board defects of 10% and for water resistant gypsum backingboard of 5% using ASTM Standard Test Method C 473.

In order to produce a product that passes the ASTM C1396 standard usingconventional processes, higher levels of siloxane typically are required(e.g., on the order of 12.5 lbs. siloxane/msf or about 0.5% wt./wt.).The foregoing example illustrates that preparing a water-resistantcementitious article in accordance with the invention can beadvantageously be used with a lower siloxane loading level.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein. Variationsof those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art upon reading the foregoing description, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A fibrous mat-faced cementitious articlecomprising: (a) a cementitious core, (b) a first fibrous mat comprisingpolymer or mineral fibers, the mat having at least a first surfacefacing the cementitious core, (c) a hydrophobic film having a thicknessof at least about 25 μm disposed on at least the first surface the mat,the film comprising talc, wax, a hydrophobic resin, a silicone-basedcompound, a fatty acid or salt thereof, polyethylene glycol, ahydrocarbon or fluorocarbon surfactant having 12 or more carbon atoms,or a combination thereof, wherein: (i) the hydrophobic film is incontact with the cementitious core, and (ii) the first fibrous matbearing the hydrophobic film adheres to the cementitious core such thatno greater than about 50% of the thickness of the first fibrous mat isembedded in the cementitious core.
 2. The cementitious article of claim1, wherein polymer or mineral fibers are glass fibers, polyester fibers,or a combination thereof.
 3. The cementitious article of claim 1 furthercomprising a second fibrous mat comprising polymer or mineral fibers,wherein the cementitious core is disposed between the first fibrous matand the second fibrous mat.
 4. The cementitious article of claim 1,wherein the cementitious core is substantially free of mineral or paperfibers.
 5. The cementitious article of claim 1, wherein the cementitiouscore comprises a hydrophobic additive.
 6. The cementitious article ofclaim 5, wherein the hydrophobic additive is a silicone-based material.7. The cementitious article of claim 1, wherein the cementitious corecomprises unstable and stable soaps.
 8. The cementitious article ofclaim 1, wherein the cementitious core comprises a polyphosphate.
 9. Thecementitious article of claim 8, wherein the polyphosphate is sodiumtrimetaphosphate.
 10. A method of preparing a fibrous mat-facedcementitious article comprising: (a) providing a first fibrous matcomprising polymer or mineral fibers, the mat having at least a firstsurface facing the cementitious core; (b) depositing a hydrophobic filmhaving a thickness of least about 25 μm on the first surface of thefibrous mat, (c) depositing a cementitious slurry on the first surfaceof the fibrous mat with the hydrophobic film, and (d) allowing thecementitious slurry to harden and adhere to the hydrophobic film and thefibrous mat, such that no greater than about 50% of the thickness of thefibrous mat is embedded in the cementitious core.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the hydrophobic film comprises talc, wax, ahydrophobic resin, a silicone-based compound, a fatty acid or saltthereof, polyethylene glycol, a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon surfactanthaving 12 or more carbon atoms, or a combination thereof.
 12. The methodof claim 10, wherein the method further comprises depositing ahydrophobic film on the fibrous mat before depositing the cementitiousslurry on the first fibrous mat.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein themethod further comprises drying the hydrophobic film before depositingthe cementitious slurry on the first fibrous mat.
 14. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the polymer or mineral fibers are glass fibers,polyester fibers, or a combination thereof.
 15. The method of claim 10further comprising contacting the cementitious slurry with a secondfibrous mat prior to allowing the cementitious slurry to harden, whereinthe cementitious slurry is disposed between the first fibrous mat andthe second fibrous mat.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein thecementitious slurry is substantially free of paper or mineral fibers.17. The method of claim 10, wherein the cementitious slurry comprises ahydrophobic additive.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein thehydrophobic additive is a siloxane.
 19. The method of claim 10, whereinthe cementitious slurry is mixed in a mixer comprising a dischargeconduit, and foam is added to the cementitious slurry in the dischargeconduit prior to depositing the slurry on the first fibrous mat.
 20. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the cementitious slurry comprisespre-blended unstable and stable soaps.
 21. The method of claim 10,wherein the cementitious slurry comprises a polyphosphate.
 22. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the polyphosphate is sodiumtrimetaphosphate.
 23. The cementitious article of claim 1, wherein whenwater is applied to the hydrophobic film, a contact angle of greaterthan about 70° is formed.
 24. The cementitious article of claim 1,wherein when water is applied to the hydrophobic film, a contact angleof between about 90° to about 120° is formed.
 25. The method of claim10, wherein when water is applied to the hydrophobic film, a contactangle of greater than about 70° is formed.
 26. The method of claim 10,wherein when water is applied to the hydrophobic film, a contact angleof between about 90° to about 120° is formed.